Prison building



April 7, 1936. R L'. CLARK 2,036,515

PRSON BUILDING Filed Aug. 2l, 1930 1Q Sheets-Sheet l 7L@ ATTORNEY April 7, 1936.

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R. l.. CLARK PRISON BUILDING Filed Aug. 2l. 1930 lO Sheets-Sheet 4 Uff/75%,.,

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PRISON BUILDING Filed Aug. 2l, 1930 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 [ILD INVENTOR Pay/'hond CZQP BYMM. l

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PRISON BU'I LDINO Filed Aug. 2l, 1930 l0 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR i Pay/hond A (Zaff hf m,

7m', A'TroRNEY April 7 1936- R L. CLARK 2,036,515

PRISON` BUILDING.

Filed Aug. 2l, 1930 lO Sheets-Sheet 7 ivf-.119.18

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7L@ ATTORNEY R L. CLARK April 7,A 1936.

PRISON BUILDING Filed Aug. 2l, 1930 l0 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Pzgmofrcl Z Ca/ BY fuis ATTORNEY April 7, 1936.

R. l. CLARK 2,036,515

PRISON BUILDING Filed Aug 2l, 1930 l0 Sheets-Sheet 9 My iL KCI:

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lO Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed Aug. 2l, 1930 INVENTOR v v m ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE mesno assignments.

to Armorite Equipment Incorporated, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation oi New York Application August 2l, 1930, Serial No. 476,781

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to prison buildings and an object thereof is to provide a construction which will give to the guards an eilicient observation and control oi' the prisoners at r, al1 times. Another object oi' the invention is to provide a novel observation corridor from which a smaller number of guards may without danger to themselves observe all of the prisoners in the prison and hold such prisoners under control. l Still another object oi' the invention is to provide a novel heating and/or Ventilating system for the building which may be used for gassing the prisoners without danger to the guards. Other objects of the invention are to provide in connec- 15 tion with an observation compartment provision for viewing the prisons, illuminating the prisons, projecting gas bombs, listening in on the conversation of the prisoners and for tiring upon the prisoners, all without danger to the guards.

To these and other ends, the invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter described: the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a vertical section through a prison building embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the same building;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the observation corridor:

Fig. 4 is a. vertical longitudinal section through the observation corridor;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a fragment of the floor 35 of the observation corridor.'

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 5 8, Fig. 4;

Figs. 'I and 8 are respectively inner and outer face views of a floor louvre;

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9 9, Fig. 7;

Figs. 10 and 11 are respectively a vertical section and inner face view of one of the wall louvres:

Figs. 12, 13 and 14 are respectively a plan of the gas bomb outlet and closure, a section on the line II-II, Fig. 12, and a section on the line I4-I4, Fig. 12;

Figs. l5 and 16 are respectively an inside and vertical section of the ilxture through which fire arms are projected;

, Fig.1'7 is a section showing a revolver adapter iltted in the nxture shown in Figs. 15 and 16;

l Figs. 18 and 19 are respectively a side and an end view of the revolver adapter;

'.Figs. 20 and 21 are respectively an outside and 65 an inside face view of a listening device;

Fig. 22 is a vertical longitudinal section through the listening device;

Fig. 23 is a view similar to Fig. 21 showing the listening device shut off;

Fig. 24 is a vertical section of a portion of the 5 combined heating, Ventilating and gassing system;

Fig. 25 is a horizontal section through the outlet head of the combined system;

Fig. 26 is a fragmentary view of the outlet head; 10

Fig. 27 is a plan view with parts broken away of another portion of the combined heating, ventilating and gassing system; and

Figs. 28 and 29 are respectively an outer face and vertical longitudinal section of the skylight. 15

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the building has a main room I along three sides of which are arranged the cells 2 preferably in two floors separated from the outside walls of the building by corridors 3. All of the cells open into the room I and as is common are separated from the main room only by bars or grille work so that the interiors of the cells may be seen from the main room I.

Within the main room is an observation corridor I. In this instance, the walls of the cor'- ridor are preferably made of bullet-proof material such as sheet steel or reinforced concrete and the bottom of this corridor is arranged above the iloor of the main room I high enough for a person to pass beneath the saine in an upright position. It is preferred to suspend the corridor from the transversed beams 5 of the trussed-ronf, sidewalls or partitions of the building by hanger rods B, and to connect the corridor at one end, to one end of the building in which the headquarters 1 of the guards is arranged, the other end of the corridor being spaced from the opposite end of the building where cells are provided.

The bottom of the observation corridor is provided with view openings each of which, in this instance, embodies a frame 8 set in an opening in the floor and formed of angle iron side pieces, the inwardly turned flanges at the bottom of the frame serving as a rest for bullet-proof glass plates 9. Above the glass plate and flush at its upper face with the iloor and upper edge of the frame l is a floor grille I0 serving to protect the glass from the feet of the occupants of the corridor. Projecting from the bottom of the corridor about the view opening is another frame II formed of channel iron and receiving within them louvre slats I2. 'Ihrough the slats the guards may look without being seen as the coropening.

ridor is dark and the room I is light. The louvre also protects the glass plate from blows.

The vertical side walls and end wall may have view openings each of which may be surrounded by a frame I3 secured to the vertical wall and formed of channel pieces enclosing louvre slats I4. Secured to the frame I3 is a frame I3 formed of angle iron pieces and providing a seat for a bullet-proof sheet of glass I6 which is held in position by a frame I'l received within the frame I5. A packing IISIl serves to render the joint about the glass gas proof. Openings I6 may be provided in the corridor through which gas bombs may be thrown. A novel closure I9 is provided for such openings to protect the guard against shots from the prisony while throwing the bomb. 'I'his closure is hinged at 20 to one side oi' the It is made of bullet-proof metal and is vertically elongated to extend a considerable distance above and below the opening so that shots cannot reach the body of a guard standing behind it and using one arm to throw the bomb around one side of the door through the opening i8. It is preferred to situate a view opening adjacent to the hinged side of the closure for the bomb opening in order that the guard may be able to direct the bomb to the most effective position. A locking device 2| of any suitable constructionmay secure the swinging side of the door on the inside of the corridor, and a gasproof packing 22 may be carried by the door to cooperate with a flange 23 surrounding the opening I8.

The corridor may be equipped with openings for fire arms preferably directly beneath the side view openings (see Figs. 15 to 19 inclusive). Preferably the steel walls of the corridor have openings 24 each of which has a seat 25 on its inner face for a sphere or ball 26 which may be held to the seats by plates 21 bolted at 28 to the side wall and provided with curved annular seats 29. The sphere or ball may have a diametrically arranged bore 30 formed with a longitudinal groove 3 I. The barrel of the rifle or gun is passed through the bore 30, the front sight travelling in the groove 3|. When these balls are not being used they may be turned to the position indicated in dotted lines on Fig. 16 so that the openings for the fire arms are closed. An adapter may be used in connection with each ball to permit the use of pistols or revolvers. This adapter, in this instance, is in the form of a split sleeve 32 tapered at 33 to facilitate its introduction into the bore of the sphere and having a flange 34 at one end to limit its movement in the bore in one direction. The split serves as a way in which the front sight on the pistol or revolver may move through the sleeve. When either a pistol or a rifle or gun is extended through the sphere it may be readily aimed in any direction due to the universal movement of the sphere in the wall of the corridor, the window of the corridor being used to direct the fire arms.

With the end in view of listening-in on the prisoners, listening devices may be provided each comprising an opening in the wall of the corridor having a protecting cage 35 in front thereof I see Figs. 20 to 23 inclusive). A short tube 38 is welded to the inner face of the wall about the opening and encloses a plurality of spaced disks 31, 38 and 39. 'I'he disk 31 has an annular series of openings 40, and is covered by a protecting screen 31. The disk 39 has a central opening 4I and the disk 39 at the inner end of the tube has an eccentric opening 42. Arranged to turn in close proximity to the disk 39 is a shutter 43 in the form of a cap internally threaded and engaging external threads 44 on the inner endA of the tube. A gas-prooi' disk 43* is arranged between the shutter 43 and the disk 39. By turning the shutter 43, the eccentric opening 45 therein may be thrown into and out of alinement with the opening 42 in order to open or close the listening device.

For illuminating the prison from the observation corridor, the latter may have its side and bottom walls provided with illuminating devices constructed, in this instance, by providing in the steel walls of the corridor openings 46 in which are fitted concavo convex steel disks 41, the concave faces of which are silvered or coated with a reflecting material. A disk of bullet-proof glass 49 closes the concave face of each disk 41 and encloses an electric bulb 49 which may be controlled from the interior of the corridor in any suitable manner.

Associated with the building is a combined heating, Ventilating and gassing system. This system, in this instance, comprises an intake 50 for outside or fresh air leading to a heater 5I from which leads two conduits 62 and 33, one smaller than the other. Blowers 54 and 55 are arranged respectively in the conduits 52 and 53, the former having less capacity than the other and serving for the normal ventilation and heating of the prison. Where it is desired to feed an excess of air to the prison, the larger blower is brought into use as when the system is used for ga sing prisoners or clearing the prison of gas. From the two blowers a conduit 66 may lead to any part of the prison. This conduit preferably contains outlets 61 through the flooring of the building, and these outlets may be covered by a register comprising. in this instance, a projecting metal frame 58 with a closed top 58 and open sides formed by vertical parallel bars 59 on the inner sides of which is a wire mesh 59 to prevent trash being thrown into the conduit. A flange or trapping lip 60 depends from the top wall of the conduit adjacent that side of the outlet 51 opposite the side at which the gas or air passes to the outlet so as to deflect a portion of the air or gas through the outlet.

With the purpose in view of supplying a stupifying gas to the prison. gas tanks 6I may be provided, as for instance, in a basement or cellar 62 in the prison and pipes 63 may connect therewith and with stand pipes 64 which project into the outlets 51 and have gas distributing heads 65 at their upper ends situated at the bottom of the registers so that the gas issuing from said heads will be-blown through the registers and into the prison. The pipe 63 may also connect with aline pipe 66 leading through the observation corridor and provided with outlet nozzles 61 which discharge through the bottom of the corridor into the prison room I.

If desired the top of the corridor may be provided With skylights each comprising, in this instance, (see Figs. 28 and 29) a frame 66 formed of angle iron side pieces and secured about an opening 69 in the top wall of the corridor. A sheet 10 of bullet-proof glass has a gas tight nt 1I with the frame 69 and is held therein by a frame 'I2 formed of angle iron side pieces and secured in position by bolts 13.

In this embodiment of the invention an observation corridor is provided in the form of a suspended gallery positioned with reference to a series of cells so that the cells and the prisoners mondain 3 therein may be observed without the prisoners being aware ol the lact. The gallery la made oi bullet-proof material and is provided with lookout or view openings at desirable points protectcd by steel )ouvres and buliet-prooi Ilm. The observation gallery or corridor han listening devices nuitabiy distributed which are protected against bullets or tampering and suitably protectod illuminating devices are provided lor flooding the cella with light. Provision la made through suitable devices whereby lire arms may be fired from the corridor without danger to the guards and through openings which may be controlied only from the inner side oi the corridcr.

The heating and Ventilating oi the looltoiit or observation gallery or corridor is independent of the cells and the main prison room. and the heating and Ventilating system oi the cells is also used as a gasalng system for the prisoners as well as for clearing the prison cells and main room oi gas afier a growing operation. as the opening of the gas plant to the heating and Ventilating system fills the prison celia and main room with gas and the closing of the gas supply permits the ventilating system io clear the cells and main room in n. short time, there being an air outlet at the top of the main room which is closed during a gassing operation and opened after the gassing. The lookout gallery or corridor is fully gas-proof so that the occupants are protected while the prisoners are being gassed.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a wall having an opening through which a bomb may be thrown, of a bullet-proof closure for the opening hinged at one vertical side oi' the opening and projecting considerably above and below the opening so as to provide protecting portions so that shots cannot reach the body of the person standing behind the closure when in the act of throwing a bomb through said opening.

2. The combination with a prison comprising a series oi rooms and cells arranged along the sides thereof, of an observation corridor common to the rooms having its walls exposed to the cells gas-proof, of a forced air conduit discharging into the rooms through a suitable outlet, and a gassing system arranged in the conduit to discharge through the outlet. a deiieotor in the conduit tor dellcctlng air lrom the conduit through the outlet into the rooms.

3. The combination with a wall having an opening through which a bomb may be thrown and provided with a marginal inwardly directed llange. o! a bullet-prooi closure lor the opening hinged at one inner vertical aide of the opening and proieoting substantially above and below the opening no u to provide protecting portions for the protection oi thtI iuii ligure of a person against bullets. when the closure is moved to uncover tho opening. said closure having flanges adapted to embrace the marginal flange oi said opening when the door is closed.

-i. The combination with n. wall having an opening through which a bomb may be thrown and provided with a marginal inwardly directed flange. oi a builct-prooi closure for the opening hinged at one inner vertical side of the opening and projecting substantially above and below the opening so as to provide protecting portions for the protection oi the full ligure of a person against bullets. when the closure is moved to uncover the opening, said closure having flanges adapted to embrace the marginal flange of said opening, and a gas-prooi packing carried by the door within the inwardly directed flange of the door to coact with the latter and the marginal ange of the opening when the door is closed.

5. A prison observation corridor having its walls provided with openings through which gas and other bombs may be thrown from the interior of the corridor, a bullet-proof member normally forming a gas-prooi' closure for each wall opening, said member being in the nature of a door of substantially greater vertical and lateral dimensions than the opening, hingedly connected to the inner surface of the wall at one side of the opening to swing horizontally inwardly to open position and when in such position form a bullet-proof protection for the full figure of a person engaged in throwing a bomb from the free edge of the door through said opening, said door and the wall around the opening having cooperating means to secure the door in closed position across the opening and seal the space between the door and the wall.

RAYMOND L. CLARK. 

